Texas Needs More Career and Technical Progams, Says Perry

Gov. Rick Perry called for more career and technical programs at his first State Board of Education meeting of the year.

Credit KUT News

Governor Rick Perry called for more career and technical programs—in addition to expanding charter schools and implementing a tax-credit scholarship program—during his address to the State Board of Education and its eight newly elected members this morning.

“Texas' academic future must be built on the flexibility necessary to serve those different students,” he said.

For Perry, that flexibility includes doubling the career and technical programs that he says help students get high-skill, well-paying jobs.

“Those courses and fields as far ranging as engineering and veterinary science are efficient, they’re common sense ways to prepare students to graduate ready for those hard to fill jobs across the state,” he added.

Yesterday, State Senator Dan Patrick (R-Houston) filed a bill that emphasizes workforce development and creates a program for eighth grades to chart their educational course through high school. It is one of several bills that would give students more options to pursue post-secondary education paths outside traditional four-year university programs.

Related Content

Gov. Rick Perry is expressing his support for letting school districts themselves choose whether to implement a rule that requires new state assessments to count for 15 percent of high school students' final grades. In a written statement Thursday — the first time the governor has publicly weighed in on the issue — Perry praised legislation filed by state Sen. Dan Patrick , R-Houston, that would leave the decision up to local school districts. He also asked Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams to defer the state's rollout of the rule until the next school year.